Storm knocks down scoreboard, TV towers at Doral

The leaderboard by the 18th green was destroyed after a storm blew through Thursday morning.

Fred Vuich/SI

Thursday, March 10, 2011

DORAL, Fla. (AP)  Strong gusts have suspended play at the Cadillac Championship, destroyed the large manual scoreboard near the 18th green at Doral and toppled a TV tower into a pond behind the ninth green.

Players were removed from the golf course at 11:45 a.m. Thursday as a storm system approached.

Less than an hour later, a microburst sent the scoreboard crashing down. PGA Tour officials surveying the damage said it could not be repaired.

Two television towers toppled - one behind the eighth green, the other behind the ninth green - and the top of the tower was submerged in a small pond behind the ninth.

None of the structures would affect play, and the first round was to resume at 2:30 p.m.